The Count's World Special: Shin Nen Omedetou!
by The Great Allie
Summary: Count Bleck is invited to a traditional New Years celebration, but it's business as usual when some Shy Guys show up to spoil the fun by stealing New Years Eve.
1. S1 dash 1

_We're taking a very temporary hiatus from "Weapons and Redemption" so that I may bring you The Count's World's first holiday special: Shin Nen Omedetou (Happy New Year)._

* * *

It was the last day of the year and Count Bleck was feeling very good about everything. He and his minions had received an invitation. A real social invitation, asking for their company at a New Year's party. This was something that Count Bleck had never experienced- not only a traditional New Year event, but also the fact that an entire group having a party had thought of him and asked him to join.

Suprisingly enough, the party was being held in Sammer's Kingdom, one of the worlds to be sucked up into the Void when Count Bleck controlled the Dark Prognosticus. When King Sammer first contacted them, Count Bleck had been uncomfortable.

It had gone something like this:

King Sammer called up Count Bleck on his Cell Phone SP. At the time, Count Bleck had been in his bedroom sorting the papers in his desk and Tippi was watching him with amusement.

"That's strange," said Count Bleck, checking the screen on his phone. "The number isn't coming through."

"Probably a salesman," said Tippi. "I'll bet Chet Rippo's trying to sell you experience again."

"I'm so tired of him," said Count Bleck. He answered his phone. "Hello, said Count Bleck?"

"Yes, is this Count Bleck?"

"Why, yes, yes it is."

"Ah, glorious! It's very difficult to track down an unlisted number, you know. Lucky one of my vassals was able to— I am King Sammer, of Sammer's Kingdom."

Count Bleck paused as he sucked in breath through his teeth. "There's a reason it's unlisted," he said tersely.

"Oh, I understand, don't you know. The troubles of kings and counts are much the same."

"Listen, if you're calling for my head on a pike, you'll have to take a number—"

"You've already made that joke," Tippi interrupted.

Count Bleck looked up at her. "If I didn't keep making that joke, I'd have gone mad by now."

"Head on a pike? Oh, gracious no! I'm calling to invite you to my kingdom's New Year celebration."

"So… you're calling to heap coals over my head."

"What _are_ you talking about?"

"If I recall correctly, the last time I was in your kingdom I… made a spectacle out of myself."

King Sammer gave a hearty laugh. "Oh, ho, ho! It couldn't be any worse than the spectical my vassals saw at the Christmas party. I'm afraid this king has a soft spot for the eggnog, you know."

Count Bleck said, "No, no, I mean I denounced all living things as worthless before I let your world be sucked up into oblivian."

"Yes, yes, I recall that. I also recall that I seem to exist right now. You also have glowing reccomendations that I've heard about: Merlon, descendant of the Ancients and a distant cousin of mine, droves of X-Nauts who passed through spoke highly of you, Princess Peach in our last meeting- who, if I recall correctly, was fighting _against_ you back then (now, what do you suppose caused that change of heart?) the residents of Twilight Town…"

"Wow," said Count Black. "You… you certainly talk to a lot of people."

"The first time I heard it, I didn't want to believe it. I thought, surely they aren't talking about the same Count Bleck who denounced all livign things as worthless before he let our world be sucked up into oblivian! But then again and again, I hear stories of your great deeds."

"And… the logical conclusion you come to is to invite me to a party?"

"I try to keep good company."

"You _are_ heaping coals on my head."

"Please RSVP to this number by next Friday. I'll need to know whether or not to keep a Guest Suite in my elegant palace open."

"Let me get this straight: You want _me_, a man who you have every reason to be angry with for reasons established, to come to a kingdom where over a hundred trained warriors obey every order you give them? And… what?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Count Bleck. Nobody in this kingdom works on New Years. It's the biggest holiday of the year!"

Count Bleck looked up at Tippi and covered the microphone. "Do we want to go to a New Year party in Sammer's Kingdom?"

"Why not?"

"All right," said Count Bleck into the phone. "Put me down for seven."

"Ah, excellent! Bringing the whole party! Well, we can't wait to see you! Ki o tsukete (take care)!"

Count Bleck hung up the phone.

"Let me tell you," said Tippi, "that was one _weird_ conversation to only hear half of."

And that's basically how it happened. So Count Bleck and everyone was standing on the outskirts of Sammer's Kingdom on the last day of the year. Count Bleck was feeling good about the invitation, but was also a nervous wreck thinking about all the ways it could go horribly wrong.

It was actually much like the meeting room: Nastasia was on one side and Tippi was above him, and he was facing his four minions who had arranged themselves in the same configuration they always stood in. Hopefully he could expect the same level of professionalism from his minions that he received in the meeting room—scratch that. Hopefully he could expect at least _some_ level of professionalism.

"All right," said Count Bleck. "This is a Very Big Deal for us. If we can prove that we aren't complete disasters at social situations, the possibilites for us will open up tenfold. I want all of you to be on your best behavior. O'Chunks, don't battle anyone unless they start it. Mimi, respect social boundaries. Dimentio, don't creep anyone out. Mr. L, don't depress anybody."

"I can _try_," said Mr. L.

"If you don't behave yourselves, I will send you back to Dimension Bleck so fast your neck will snap."

"Does O'Chunks even have a neck, or do we have to think of a different punishment for him?"

"Oh, I can snap it," assured Count Bleck. "And remember: we are _guests_ in this dimension. They have different customs and traditions than we are used to. Please don't insult them by not following or, stars forbid, _mocking_ their ways."

He looked at Mimi who was in a kimono tied with an obi sash and a pair of geta on her feet. Her hair was done in a strange, half traditional half trainwreck style.

"What?" She looked at her outfit. "This is a perfectly acceptable New Year's outfit!"

"It's always left over right," said Count Bleck. "Never right over left."

"Who cares?"

"The Sammer Guys, for one. If you don't switch the folds, you can't come to the party."

Mimi scowled, but obediently excused herself to re-tie her kimono.

"Anything else?" asked Nastasia.

O'Chunks raised his hand.

"Yes, O'Chunks?"

"How, ezzac'ly would yeh be breakin' me neck, anyway?"

"Would you like to find out?"

"… No, I can't say that ah would."

"Are we ready?" Nastasia asked Count Bleck.

"Yes, I believe we are."

Count Bleck approached the gates to King Sammer's magnificant palace. Inside was a courtyard as big as some castles, with hundreds of Sammer Guys and other citizens inside to celebrate. Over the tops of the walls, Count Bleck could see beautiful kites flying in the air. He could also see the top of a shrine, but he couldn't tell if it was small or far away. Given the extravagance of everything else, though, he couldn't imagine it was small.

A red Sammer Guy was standing at the gate, holding a sign that said "Bleck."

"Hello," Nastasia said, stepping up to him. "Yeah, hi, we're here from Dimension Bleck. This is Count Bleck."

The Sammer Guy tossed the sign over his shoulder. "Hello," he said. "King Sammer has asked me to escort you through the festivities."

"How wondeful," gushed Tippi. "Are you a Sammer Guy?"

"I'm not one of the 100," he answered, "but I have received training and may one day be honored with a position as one of the King's vassals. Sadly, such an honor is not yet within my reach... and hasn't been for the past fifteen years."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Tippi. "What's your name?"

"Jobless Bum," he answered.

"Oh."

"Yeah…"

"I'm going to call you Red."

"I would appreciate that." He cleared his throat. "Now, if you are hungry you may enjoy many of our traditional dishes prepared especially for the festivities. If recreation is more your tastes, we have wonderful games you may play at. I can teach you the rules. Or I can bring you to the shrine, where you may make your wishes for the New Year. The real crowds will be tomorrow, the first visit of the New Year, but it is still very crowded."

Count Bleck looked over his minions. All of them were quiet and standing side by side in an orderly line, rather like young children on a field trip. Count Bleck nodded approvingly.

"Bring us to your shrine," said Count Bleck, "if you please. I would like very much to see a display of Sammer culture."

"As you wish," said Red. "This way, stay close and watch out for pickpockets."


	2. S1 dash 2

Red was happily showing the Count's group the many New Years customs they were celebrating on the way to the shrine.

"Over there they are making mochi, a delicious rice cake dumpling we like to eat at the beginning of January. There are already some ready, if you would like to try." Red pointed to a table with cakes spread over it.

Count Bleck took one and had a bite. It was very sticky, but very tasty. "It's good," he said approvingly.

"Let me try!" Mimi cried out. She grabbed a cake and took a huge bite, and almost immediately spat it back out. "Yuck!" she said in disgust.

"Mind your manners!" Nastasia hissed.

"Quite all right," said Red. "Not everybody enjoys the same foods. We have many other treats for you to enjoy."

Before long they approached the shrine. As Count Bleck suspected, it was nearby and very huge. It could probably have fit a thousand Sammer Guys inside easily, and Count Bleck still had to hold onto the people near him to keep from getting separated. Once they settled, the moving crowd shifted to accommodate them and they had a very small bubble within it.

"The last wish of the old year," said Red, "and the first one of the New Year are two very sacred traditions. Out with the old, in with the new. Care to say a quick one?"

Everyone in the group bowed their heads and made a quick wish.

"Wonderful," said Red. "Now that I've successfully shown you around I'll just be back to my work. If you need me I'll be standing over there looking depressed." He turned on his heels and clicked away professionally.

"I get the feeling he's a guy with a lot of problems," said Mr. L.

"Yes, if anybody would be able to relate to that, it would be our own Mr. L," said Dimentio.

Mr. L made a fist and glared threateningly at Dimentio.

"I would like to go sample more of those delicious treats," said Dimentio, ignoring Mr. L. "So I will see you later."

He started to drift away, but Count Bleck grabbed him by the foot. "Oh, no, no, no you don't. You're going to stay where I can see you."

Dimentio grinned and disappeared. Count Bleck lowered his hands, rolled his head back, and sighed. A moment later, Dimentio reappeared. One of the bells on the end of his hat was slightly on fire.

"I suppose you think you're very clever, don't you?" he said dryly.

"Stay with the group," said Count Bleck.

"Like, do we _all_ gotta?" asked Mimi.

"I suppose not," said Count Bleck. "Nastasia can chaperone one group."

"Yeah," said Nastasia. "So, um, everyone who wants to go play some games, line in front of me single file. Quickly, please."

O'Chunks, Mimi, and Mr. L all took her up on that offer. They lined up quickly and quietly.

"Very nice," observed Count Bleck.

"All right, let's go, one two, one two." She started to march them around and out of the shrine. Before she left, she turned back to Count Bleck and said, "Yeah, so don't worry at all, 'K, Count? Yeah, I'll have them all behave themselves."

"I trust you completely, Nastasia," said Count Bleck.

She nodded once, and led the others through the crowd. Count Bleck lost track of them almost immediately.

"I shall behave myself as well, oh Count," said Dimentio.

Count Bleck turned around, reached his hands up over the crowd, and gestured for Red. Red was standing a ways away in the crowd, looking off into the distance. The movement caught his eye and he pushed his way back to Count Bleck.

"What, exactly are you going to be doing to celebrate the New Year?" he asked in a friendly sort of way.

Red pointed to where he just was. "Standing right there, of course," he said.

"Why not take part in the festivities?"

"Because nobody likes me."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"You haven't been around me very long."

"This is true."

* * *

"Splendind, splendid!"

King Sammer was sitting on his throne outside in the courtyard, watching his kingdom celebrate. Two green guards stood on his left, and two blue ones on his right. His throne was atop a tall pedestal, and four more Sammer Guys guarded at the base of it.

"I'm certainly enjoying this," said King Sammer. "It's almost as good as watching a very good tournament. But tournaments are few and far between, and we're guaranteed at least one good festival a year, eh?"

He glanced to the guards on his left, who didn't respond.

"Perhaps this time I may even take part in the celebration. Or, perhaps not. Right now I feel hungry." He pointed to one of the guards. "Could you go and fetch us some delicious rice dumplings?"

"I will be fast," replied the Sammer Guy. "For I always sprint quickly and return laden with treats. I am Running for Snacks." And he darted off.

Then, the sky split open.

It was pretty quick, actually. A large gash opened up across the sky, and it fell away like cloth. The Sammer Guys in the kingdom gasped and began a mad scramble. A foreboding darkness fell over the courtyard.

King Sammer jumped up. "Good gracious! The sky truly is falling! Oh, why didn't I listen to that odd bird!"

Then, hundreds of Sky Guys, attached to balloons, began to pour out of the opening. They circled the entire courtyard from up high. Two of them were holding a gigantic pair of safety scissors.

"Ha HA!" cried the leader triumphantly. "We've finally arrived!"

King Sammer shook his fist. "See here, now, you are _not_ invited to this party!"

"I know!" the Sky Guy hollered back. "We're never invited to any parties ever! And you know why that is?"

"Because you're too shy to be sociable!"

"No, that is not the case!"

Someone from the crowd called out, "Because you always wreck everything!"

"We do not!" the Sky Guy shouted. "Who said that?" He pulled out his slingshot and aimed around, but couldn't pick anyone out. He carefully tucked it away, glaring at the crowd suspiciously. "Shy Guys just wanna have fun. We wanna play. But _you_ never let us!

"So now we're doing something about it! You either invite us to this party, or there isn't gonna _be_ a party! We have stolen New Years Eve, and won't give it back until you invite us to the party!'

"Never!" King Sammer shouted angrily.

"Have it your way, oh King of Eveless New Years." The Sky Guy bowed mockingly. "Sky Guys! To the toybox!" He pointed, and the throng of Sky Guys disappeared back into the hole. The last one picked it up and taped it back into place.

"This is going to put a horrible damper on the celebration," said King Sammer sadly. "Vassals! To me!"

Just then he felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped so high he almost hit his head on the moon. "Who's behind me!" he cried.

Count Bleck grinned awkwardly. "Gracious, I'm just as bad as the rest of them, aren't I?"

Dimentio appeared behind him. "Popping about and out of places like an overheated piece of corn upon a finely greased skillet," he said.

Count Bleck bowed, showing Tippi behind him. "King Sammer," he said, "Tell your subjects and vassals and whatnots not to worry. Upon the stroke of midnight, there _will_ be a New Years Eve."

"Can they actually _do_ that?" asked King Sammer. "Steal an abstract measurement of time, that is?"

"Yes, I'm afraid they can," said Count Bleck.

"I can _not_ let esteemed guests of this dimension do the work of—of any kind. It would be dishonorable! Unthinkable!"

Count Bleck took the Beige Prognosticus out from the folds of his cloak, opened, and read, "Extend the helping hand freely, if you please, and expect it to be turned away many times. But never extend the hand with the intention or hope that it _will_ be turned away." He closed the book.

"I see," said King Sammer.

"And, in all seriousness, they _are_ Shy Guys," added Dimentio. "It isn't as if we are up against, oh, say…"

"Evil jesters?" suggested Tippi.

"No, the Jesters were pushovers unless they were teamed up with—was that a _dig_, madam?"

"Oh, he got burned," one blue Sammer Guy said to the other.

Count Bleck, Dimentio, and Tippi appeared in front of Nastasia, Mr. L, Mimi, and O'Chunks. They were busy playing _Fukuwarai_, a game that involves being blindfolded and pinning facial features onto a blank Sammer Guy face.

"Did you see that thing in the sky?" aksed Tippi.

"Saw it. Didn't care," said Mimi. "We're playing foowakoori."

"Just say Lucky Laugh," said the blank face. "And hurry up! My nose itches and it's all the way over there."

"Isn't this game traditionally played with a _paper_ face?" asked Count Bleck.

"Yeah, what's your point?" asked Mr. L.

"Oh, I get it," said Nastasia. "Yeah, so you want us to rearrange our priorities to that we tackle this Shy Guy issue, is that it?"

"Please," said Count Bleck.

"Okay." She took the paper facial features and stuck them back on the Sammer Guy. "Game's over. Let's go."

Mimi clapped her hands. "One more!"

"No! It's time to save New Years."


	3. S1 dash 3

The Count's minions had nine hours to get New Years Eve, counting from when the Shy Guys sent their ultimatum and vanished into the sky.

They had seven hours by the time Count Bleck got them organized enough to get themselves to go to Shy Guy's Toybox and confront the Shy Guys.

They had six and a half hours after they figured out how to get there from Sammer's Kingdom.

They had five hours after they were done arguing over who would be going on the mission and doing what.

That was when Count Bleck told them to either go get New Years Eve back RIGHT NOW, or else spend the next year in the Dimension of Magma and Magma Alone. That's about when they got it in gear and set off for Shy Guys Toy Box. Nastasia stayed behind to relay information between Count Bleck and King Sammer, and the rest of them were off.

"This is soooo unfair," Mimi was whining. "I really like a good party. And when am I gonna have another chance to show off a dress this good?"

"I'm sure you'll find one," said Count Bleck.

"Do you really think so?"

"There's jes one thing ah can't get right in me head," said O'Chunks. "How ezzakly do yeh go about stealin' a thing like New Years Eve?"

"It's quite simple, O'Chunks," explained Count Bleck. "You see, 'time' is an unstoppable linear process given compact measurement by man in order to understand its passage. When the measurements enter into the common consciousness, they become 'concrete' in the abstract sense, if you will. Once it's more or less established, it's a matter of taking a chronomagraphogram—"

"Magic. Got it. Thank yeh."

Count Bleck nodded curtly. "That's your department, Dimentio."

Dimentio bowed. "Master of illusions, pleasure of crowds, magician—"

"Thank you for dropping the charming bit."

"Charming doesn't even begin to describe me, o Count."

"I'll give him that," Count Bleck said to Tippi. He turned back. "You've been awfully quiet back there, Mr. L. Anything to add?"

"I'm trying to remember," said Mr. L. "Did my brother ever try and steal something that shouldn't have been able to be stolen from people who shouldn't have wanted it in the first place?"

"Probably."

Mr. L sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. He's done everything."

"It's a matter of perspective. But we're dawning on a New Year. It's time to make some changes. Out with the old, and in with the new. Mr. L, I believe you should resolve to embrace your new persona and stop holding yourself back with the old one."

"A new year is just an abstract marker placed to remember that the sun goes in circles, isn't it?"

"It is what you make it."

"What, the sun?"

Count Bleck shook his head.

* * *

Nastasia was getting a case history from King Sammer.

"Oh, it's awful," he was wailing. He was still on his throne, but now Nastasia had taken the place of the guards on his left. King Sammer looked over her while he talked. "A tournament like I enjoy doesn't come around often, but a festival like this one comes around once a year! Except for now, apparently!"

"Yeah, let's talk about that," said Nastasia. She poised her pen over his clipboard and said, "So, let's start. How long have you been at odds with the Shy Guys?"

"Since… well, it's never come up before," he said. "You see, the Shy Guys don't live near here and they don't come here. I only know about them from travel."

"But they know about you. And your parties, apparently."

"Everyone knows about our parties," said King Sammer. "New Years is the biggest festival we have here, and the festival we have here is the biggest one in all the worlds."

"Do a lot of people get invited?"

"Well, we generally try to keep out the tourists… but an invitation isn't entirely exclusive, I don't think."

Nastasia looked out over the crowd of Sammer Guys. "Not a lot of ethnic diversity, though, is there?"

King Sammer shrugged. "Talk to the guy with the blue and green stripes."

Nastasia made a note of that. "Continue…"

"The Shy Guys attended years ago and got a little wild. We wouldn't let them back in until they paid for the damage, but Shy Guys don't have any money. We asked them to bring a dessert but they refused."

"I see."

"It's very odd. Shy Guys are never really this awful. They must be especially cranky about something."

* * *

Count Bleck was getting the bullet points of the conversation from Nastasia over his Cell Phone SP. "Uh huh… Yes… All right. I see, murmured Count Bleck. Very well." He clicked it shut and put it in one of his cape's pockets.

"She said the Shy Guys must be especially cranky about something," he said. "Normally they are very easygoing and very spiteful at all. I wonder what could have happened to set them off in such a way."

There was a brief pause. Then:

"Ooooooooooooops."

Count Bleck lifted up his hat with intrigue. "Tell Count Bleck."

"Funny story," said Mimi. "True story, actually. And it was all Dimentio's fault, too, see. I want to make that perfectly clear."

Count Bleck held up a hand. "Wait a moment." He flipped out, and then reappeared with a cushy chair and a bag of popcorn. "Proceed."

Mimi elbowed Dimentio. "Dimentio, tell 'im."

"Ah. Yes, you see… during our last encounter with these Shy Guys… O'Chunks, old friend, what exactly was it that happened during our last encounter?"

O'Chunks shrugged. "Yeh got me. I dinna know what in boogly bugs yeh'r goin' on about."

"See," Mimi said, "last time we were talking to the Shy Guys, Dimentio kinda put a boulder on top of the toy box so they couldn't get out." She paused. "D'ya think that might put 'em in a sore mood?"

Count Bleck flicked a piece of popcorn in his mouth. "It is quite possible." He stood up and brushed off his lap. "New year. Fresh start. Perhaps this year you could resolve to try not to do anything stupid."

"But it's _hard_!"

Count Bleck held up a finger. "Just ask yourself this one thing before you make a decision. Ask yourself, 'Would I do this if Count Bleck were watching?'"

Tippi had been fluttering above Count Bleck's head, somewhere between trying not to laugh and trying not to cry. "And you almost managed to wipe out all of existence _how_, exactly?"

"Well, the Count's the brains," Mimi mumbled.

"You flatter me," said Count Bleck. "But I believe it was Dimentio who was pulling the strings. That's why I'm so disappointed in him."

"I do not waste my A material on frivolous tasks such as sky retrieval."

Mr. L raised a hand. "I'd just like to say that I was totally _not_ here when all of that was happening."

"Would it have been different if you were?"

"… Probably not."

Count Bleck pointed his finger at each of them in turn. "New year. New starts. New mistakes—I mean _no_ mistakes." He looked up at Tippi. "That last one didn't work out well."

* * *

They arrived just outside of Shy Guy's Toybox, in an abandoned building in Toad Town. Count Bleck lifted the top and leaned in. "Hello," he called. "Anybody home?"

Three miniature Shy Guys spring boarded out and reverted to full size before they landed on the ground outside. "Who goes there!"

"It is I, Count Bleck, and my merry minions, come to retrieve New Years Eve."

"Oh, um, we don't have it."

Count Bleck blinked. "But we _saw_ you at the party. Do not tell me it was another group of Shy Guys."

"Um, yeah, it probably was."

"Yep. We don't have New Years Eve in there."

"And if we did, we wouldn't give it back!"

O'Chunks picked the last one up by his foot and dangled him upside down.

"Aah! Aah! Lemme go! Lemme go! Okay, we have it! It's in the toybox!"

"Where?"

"I dunno! Samuel lost it!"

"I did not!"

"You did too!"

Count Bleck raised is hands. "O'Chunks, put him down!" he commanded.

O'Chunks sneered, but obediently dropped the Shy Guy onto the ground below. The Shy Guy jumped up and ran to hide behind the toy box.

The first Shy Guy had his face in his hands. "Okay,' he said, "so Robert already gave it away. But our offer still stands. We want to be invited to a New Years party."

Count Bleck nodded. "Very well. I believe I have an idea of how to work this situation out quite nicely." He turned his head over to the minions and said, "So long as you remember the resolutions we discussed."


	4. S1 dash 4

_Okay, this really should have been already up by the first of the New Year. I can probably launch a big investigation to find out why it wasn't up and point the finger at who or what is responsible, or I can use that time productively to finish _Weapons and Redemption.

* * *

After stashing the Shy Guys in a corner tied up and gagged, the minions began to investigate the Toy Box looking for an entry point.

"They get very small in order to fit in," said Count Bleck, "but what kind of sorcery do they use?"

"Sorcery!" Mr. L slapped his fist into his palm. "Doesn't someone here have sorcery that can shrink us?"

"I know there's a Pixl with that power," said Tippi. "Not me, though."

"I believe I could manage to shrink one or all of us… with magic!" said Dimentio cheerfully."

"That won't be necessary," said Tippi. "My Pixl Powers show that this springboard here is used to propel a person into the toy box and shrink them in the process."

"Killjoy."

"Very well," said Count Bleck. "Let's get started."

"Wait a moment," said Tippi. "Shouldn't we free the Shy Guys before we go?"

"It would be in everyone's best interest if we freed them on our way _out,_" he replied.

"Yeah, we don't have the best track record for that."

"New year. New start."

"Ah."

So, one by one, they propelled themselves into the toy box.

Shy Guy's Toy Box was a wonderland of colorful toys, games, and all forms of amusement. Every structure was built out of toy blocks, decorated with toys, and full of toys. Shy Guys loved to play more than anything. A large toy train ran through the box, depositing the now-tiny residents anywhere they wanted to go.

"Hey!" one of the Shy Guys at the toy train station called. "You guys aren't Shy Guys."

"No," said Count Bleck.

"What are you, then?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself, on some counts." He turned his head and looked. "What are you, anyway?" he asked.

"Are you addressing me?" asked Mr. L.

"We're looking for New Years Eve," said Count Bleck.

"Oh. Are you the armored car we ordered?"

Count Bleck turned around again. Then he turned back and said, "Yes, we are."

"Absolutely," added Tippi.

"Take the train to the Green Station and head west. First treasure chest you see."

"Thank you."

They all carefully piled on the toy train. There was just enough room for them all to be uncomfortable, but not crowded enough for open complaining. Fortunately it was quick for a toy train, and arrived at the Green Station before tempers could flare. Thank goodness for that, thought Count Bleck.

The train stopped.

"Pardon me," Count Bleck asked one of the station hands. "Which way is west?"

"There's no west in a toy box," replied the station hand.

"Nonsense, there's west everywhere," said Count Bleck. The Shy Guy didn't have a response for that, so Count Bleck tried a different tack. "Where are they holding New Years Eve?"

"That way," said the Shy Guy, pointing down one walkway of the toy box.

"Then that's west, you—"

"Blumiere, just drop it," said Tippi.

"Very well…"

They headed forward. There weren't any Shy Guys in sight, and Count Bleck wondered to himself whether or not that was a good thing or a bad thing. Before long they came across a treasure chest. A black Shy Guy with a gray mask and belt was sitting on top of it, glaring menacingly and adorably at anyone who dared pass.

"This must be it," he said. Then, out loud, he said, "Excuse me, is this New Years Eve?"

"Who wants to know?" he demanded.

"We do," said Count Bleck. "And a whole slew of Sammer Guys."

"Yeah, this is New Years Eve," said the Shy Guy, tapping the chest. "I'm Anti Guy, and nobody's getting in here 'cept the General. I'm guarding it!"

"Well, we're here to bring it back. New Years Eve belongs to everyone and can't be locked up in a chest."

"Says you! You want it, you'll have to fight me for it!"

"Oh, come on," said Mimi. "We can take him _easy_. He's a Shy Guy. Even Mr. L can take him."

"Yeah!" said Mr. L.

"He's just a no-good, low-rung, weak-limbed, silly-headed—"

_POW!_

Anti Guy zoomed across the empty space between him and the group and landed an acrobatic slam right on top of Mimi's head. She went down like a sack of wet sand. He did two backflips and landed back on the chest.

"Owwww…" she moaned. "You can't hit me, I'm a girl!"

"Who else wants some?" He struck a few powerful ninja poses. "You, tough guy?" he pointed at O'Chunks.

"Yeh'r jes' beggin' teh taste me chunks!" O'Chunks flexed his paper muscles and strutted over to the chest. He reached out to grab Anti Guy for one of his powerful patented throws, but Anti Guy jumped straight up over his hands and dove down on his head, knocking him four paces back before he fell over.

"Yeesh! This guy ain't lollyin' around!"

"Hey, I know!" said Mr. L. "Why don't we try that other thing we sometimes do? You know, the one the Count is always pushing… where we say things and they give us what we want without any punching."

Count Bleck applauded Mr. L. "This is _exactly_ the kind of thinking I want to instill in all of you," he said. "Especially those last three words."

"What were the last three words?" Mimi whispered to O'Chunks.

"I dunno, somethin' about punchin'. On'y inne negative sense."

"Don't say 'negative sense,' O'Chunks."

"Would you like to try, since it was your idea?" Count Bleck asked Mr. L.

"Me? Um, no way, I'm not very good at all with the talking to others and having them, um, do things, you know, right?"

"Perhaps _Luigi_ was not talented in that respect, but it just happens to be Mr. L's forte."

Mr. L put his hand to his chin and thought deeply. "Then I'll do it!" he declared after a small amount of thought.

He cleared his throat and stepped up to Anti Guy. "Hey, um, we're sorry that you never got invited to the New Years party. And, um, we're also sorry that we all sort of locked you in here a few months ago. Um, and we're also sorry about that other stuff we did."

"Really?" asked Anti Guy suspiciously. "Is King Sammer sorry?"

"Yeah. He totally said so himself."

"If he was so sorry, why didn't he come here to tell us?"

Dimentio clicked his fingers once and King Sammer appeared in the group.

"OH, GOOD GRACIOUS!" he cried out. "How did I get here all the way from where I just was? What's going on?"

"You're here to make peace with Shy Guys, apparently," said Count Bleck.

"I shall do no such thing!"

"See!" Anti Guy barked. "He's not sorry!"

"So what? You couldn't even be troubled to bring a dessert!"

"That's blackmail!"

"No, that's 'potluck.'"

"Wait, what?"

"Potluck," said Tippi. "It's when a lot of people get together, and everyone brings their favorite dish to share with the other people."

"Oh." Anti Guy thought for a moment. "Does lemon candy count as a dessert?"

"Yes, it certainly does," said King Sammer. "You can have all the lemon candy you want at a New Years party. If you agree to bring the dessert and behave yourselves, we can forget the damage you did."

Already drooling, Anti Guy hopped off the chest and shoved it over to King Sammer. "I'll be ready in a downbeat! Just gotta go update the General!" And he scurried off.

Dimentio clicked again, and King Sammer was gone.

"Don't do that again," Count Bleck said to him. Then, to the rest, "I'm very proud of you. Not one amusing mess-up. And it was _you_ that agreed on it. Perhaps this really is a fresh start."

* * *

Later, they were back at the New Years party. True to their word, the Shy Guys had returned New Years Eve and brought enough lemon candy to make everyone forget that a few years ago they had wrecked the decorations. They were behaving themselves well enough this time, although some of the officials had to reel them in occasionally.

Then, soon enough, it was midnight and New Years Eve was about to happen. Since it had been returned, there was nothing stopping it. The giant clock on King Sammer's palace had been opened, and the countdown was ready to begin.

"I can't wait!"

"Look, it's starting!"

"Hurray!"

"Out with the old…"

"And in with the new!"

"Ten!"

"Nine"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"ONE!"

Fireworks shot off from the palace roof and erupted in the sky. Cheers rose up from the crowd. Streamers exploded, noisemakers tooted, music started."

Count Bleck grabbed Tippi at the last count and planted a big kiss as close to her mouth as a Pixl had.

"What was _that?_" she asked after it ended.

"Just a little tradition I've always favored," he replied.


End file.
